Don't ever be a witch hunter
by artsygeek9796
Summary: Yamada has the worst luck ever. From getting beat up by gangs to dealing with witches, and on top of that, gets sick. However, it's not as simple as it sounds, as Yamada seems to be getting worse and a new witch appears at school.
1. Chapter 1

"Wow Yamada! You look like crap!" Miyabi said when she, Miyamura, and Yamada, who for some reason had switched bodies with Shiraishi, were gathered in the club room before class started. Ever since they started the supernatural club, they've been hanging out in the club room before and after school every day. However on this particular day, Yamada was very grumpy, with dark shadows under those glaring pink eyes.

"Shut it, I'm not in the mood," he grumbled in Shiraishi's voice.

"Why are you in Shiraishi's body this early in the morning?" the white-haired student council member asked. Usually the magical duo would wait until after the first class to switch bodies, but he was already in the girl's delicate figure when he entered the clubroom.

"She was invited to a sleepover and like the studious hermit she is, had me take her place," he grumbled with irritation, "My god, those girls never shut the fuck up! All they ever talked about was bras and 'how hot Miyamura is!' Now where is she?!"

"Yamada-kun." The guy in Shiraishi's body turned to the sound of his voice saying his name, jaw dropping to the floor. His entire body was covered in countless purple bruises and scratches, which were barely covered by a few bandages. His face was decorated with a black eye and a cut on his lip.

"What the hell did you do in my body?!"

"I got into some trouble with a gang," she explained, calmly and nonchalantly.

"What? What happened?" Miramuya asked her.

"They were picking on a little kitten so I punched them and they started kicking me in the stomach, and pushing me to the ground, and beating me up. Oh, they also threw me into a dumpster in an alley."

 _All that because you tried to save a cat?!_

"Wow, that must have hurt. Are you okay, Urara-chan?" Miyabi asked, concerned for her friend.

"Yes, now that I saved the kitten," she said, blushing from her accomplishment (or perhaps from how cute the kitten was).

"Whatever, let's switch back now." His slender, rough lips touched Shiraishi's soft pink skin as he felt his soul transfer to his own body. Once they separated, Yamada instantly felt the pain of the injuries she sustained while in his body rush to his nerves. And there was a lot more injuries than the ones he could see.

He felt his skin sting from the fresh air hitting the cuts and scratches. He wrapped an arm around his side when he found it hurts too much to stand straight. Not that he could with a bruised knee threatening to buckle under his weight. Scabs colored his knuckles dark red, aching every time he clenched his fist. His eye, nearly swollen shut, could barely blink without forming tears. His lip, heavy and numb from the contact of the kiss.

"Aughhhh...everything hurts like hell! How did you make it look like nothing?! My back is killing me!"

"It was worth the pain, helping the kitten."

"And what the hell?! Why do I still feel so tired after switching back? You know what? It doesn't matter, I'm going home. Can barely walk because of you..."

"Oh no you don't," Mirayuma said, stopping Yamada, "you have a physics exam to take in second period and you can't miss it."

 _What is with this school always giving us tests?! But if I miss this one, I could end up expelled. Fuck!_

"Fine..." he groaned, "Shiraishi, switch with me."

"Uh, she left already," Miyabi said, pointing to the empty chair the blonde had previously occupied.

"What?!" he cried. He ran out the room, his knee throbbing with each step he took. _Damn it, where'd she go?! If I don't find her before the test, I'm screwed!_

He tried searching for her behind the school where they would sometimes kiss. However, he found a certain green-haired witch standing there instead.

"Ah, Yamada. I need to speak with you," Otsuka said, eyes shyly peeking out of her bangs.

"Can't right now, I'm looking for Shiraishi."

"Because of the 2nd period physics exam, right?"

"You have it too?"

"Yes, and I have an idea how to pass it. But I need you to kiss me." _Oh no._ He knew what she meant, but he couldn't handle the price that came with it. The last time she had given him telepathy powers, his brain felt like exploding from all the voices invading his thoughts. And the last thing he wanted to deal with, along with everything else that hurt like hell, was a skull-splitting headache.

"Sorry, I can't deal with telepathy right now, I-" he couldn't finish. Her lips locked onto his, forcing him into a kiss with the shy witch.

 _Can you hear me, maggot?!_ Her words entered his head like a storm, immediately erupting a headache in his grey matter.

 _Ow...yes I can hear you just fine!_

 _Get the answers and report your ass to the classroom at 0800 hours. Don't be late!_

 _Yeah, yeah..._

 _Is that how you speak to your commanding officer?!_

 _Yes sir! I mean, no sir!_

"Um, I'll see you then." she said timidly before running off and leaving Yamada alone with the pain stinging in his head. _So not only do I have to get through the school day wishing I was out of my misery, I also have get the answers to the exam or face the wrath of commander Otsuka._

… _.oh crap..._


	2. Chapter 2

"Where the fuck were you?!" Yamada shouted when he saw Shiraishi at her desk, reading a math book.

"This is a school, Yamada. Take a guess."

"Don't get smart with me, I needed you!"

"Okay, let's switch now."

"Forget it! Because I was looking for you, I ran into Otsuka instead and now I have her powers. What I need are the answers to the physics exam."

"Okay, I'll help."

"Thank you," he sighed, collapsing onto his seat before realizing it was a bad idea, "owowowowww..." He winced, rubbing his sore back.

"Are your injuries that bad?"

"What kind of question is that?! Of fucking course it does! I have a black eye, two possibly broken ribs, a bad knee, a sore back, all these cuts on my arms and legs, one on my lip- Augh!" He pressed the palm of his hands into his eyes, "...and now a blinding headache is added to the list."

She flinched slightly as she continued writing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's alright, I know it's the pain talking. Here," she said, handing him the paper.

"Yes! Thank you, I-"

 _Hey maggot! Exam's about to start, GET OVER HERE NOW!_

"...nnghh..." he groaned from the pain in his head, "better go take this test before she splits my brain in half.

"Yamada-kun..." she trailed as she watched him limp to his next class.

•••

Yamada took his seat, a couple rows away from. He turned to see the green haired witch, who looked at him nervously before her gaze hardened.

 _You didn't screw up, right maggot? Because if we don't pass, I will make you run a hundred laps on the field!_

 _Calm your tits, I have the answers here..._

 _Who the FUCK do you think you're talking to?! ANSWER ME MAGGOT!_

 _Yes sir, sorry sir!_

The exam had started and Yamada was on the first question.

 _What's the answer?!_

 _...ugh..._

 _What? I can't hear you, speak louder!_ Her words drove nails into his skull.

 _...uckin...urts..._

 _Focus on the test and worry about your damn boo-boos later!_

 _...D..._

Yamada sighed, it was so hard to focus on anything but how much it hurts to move. But he managed to give her the answers before class was over. Telepathy nearly fried his brain. He got up to leave when he was approached by Otsuka.

"Um...thank you for your help..."

"No prob," he said in a tired voice, "see ya."

He made his way to the club room, closing the door behind him. I feel like shit. His migraine was killing him, as well as everything else. He eased himself into a chair, resting his head on his arms. He tried so hard to fall asleep but the dull pain was a constant reminder that he, unfortunately, could not escape the ache by going into dreamland. He sat through the electrocution in his brain, wishing he could shut his eyes for a moment. It also didn't help that Miyabi came bursting through the door.

"Yamada-kun! There you are!"

"What?" he growled. _Can't she see I've got bigger things to deal with instead of whatever alien nonsense she has going on in her head?!_ She looked at him, taken aback by his grumpy tone and dark shadows under his eyes.

"How long have you been here? Did you skip third period?"

"Yes."

"Fourth period?"

"Yes."

"Fifth period?"

"Yes."

"We didn't have fifth period yet." she said, smirking.

He groaned, looking up at the supernatural fanatic with a killer glare. "What do you want?"

"Urara-chan's looking for you."

"Can't you get her to come here?" He moaned. He didn't have the energy to get up and search for the studious blonde. All he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and bury himself under a mountain of blankets. But Miyabi would have none of that, and dragged him out of the chair by his collar.

"Absolutely not, she said to gather everyone at the old school building."

"Ow! Alright, I'll go!"

•••

"About time you showed up, you delinquent," a familiar female voice sneered.

"Odagiri? Ushio?"

"Wow, Yamada. You actually look worse than usual," she said smirking, receiving a chuckle from Ushio.

"Just tell me why we're here," he said, setting himself down on one of the steps of the building.

"I have information on a possible witch at this school," the purple-haired girl told him.

"You do?"

"Her name is Makoto Iri," Ushio informed the blue haired male, "Third year transfer student and member of the music club."

"So you want me to go find this Makoto girl and see if she's one of the witches?"

"You are the only one who can do it."

"Yamada-kun, are you sure you're up for this?" Shiraishi asked.

"Yeah. Let's get this over with."

 _Now where is that Makoto girl?_ He made his way to the music room at the end of the hall. There he saw the girl he was looking for. She sat on the grand piano, long red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was tan and curvy, taking full advantage of the uniform's short skirt and deep-cut vest. She fiddled around with the silvers hoops in her ears, not noticing that Yamada was watching her as she read some lyrics aloud.

 _You're full of hurt_

 _And I have regrets_

 _I can take the pain_

 _If your heart is set_

 _Don't walk away_

 _With that heavy heart_

 _Let me fix you_

 _Before it breaks you apart_

His eyes could burn holes into the glass, the way he was mesmerized by her rich voice.

 _Kiss my troubles away_

 _Kiss my troubles away_

 _Place your lips on mine and let's forget about it all_

 _Kiss your troubles away_

 _Kiss your troubles away_

 _If you find yourself needing love you know who to call_

 _It has to be her! She's practically proclaiming her powers to the world!_ Yamada watched intensely at the red-head, her neck arching every time she hits a high note.

 _Magic is real_

 _As real as pain_

 _The hole inside you_

 _Has left your heart stained_

 _So let me help you_

 _I have the key_

 _To heal your sorrow_

 _And set you free_

 _Kiss my troubles away_

 _Kiss my troubles aw-_

She gasped, Yamada's phone alerting her of an audience. Yamada pulled out his cell, Miramuya's name on the screen.

"What?!" He hissed.

 _"Did you find out if it's her yet?"_

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I just found her, I haven't even spoken to her yet!"

 _"How was I supposed to know that?"_

"I left five minutes ago! What did you think I was doing?!"

"Ahem," she cleared her throat, her eyebrows arched.

"I gotta go..." He mumbled before hanging up.

"Do you have a name, or should I just call you stalker?"

"I'm not a stalker! I was about to talk to you when you started singing." He sighed, not liking how this had turned out. "It was a nice song. When did you get it?"

"I, um...wrote it," she said, blushing a bit.

She's definitely a witch.

"You're good."

"Thanks. So what did you want to tell me...uh..."

"Yamada."

"Ah...Makoto." I don't like the way she reacted when I told her my name. Something tells me my reputation precedes me.

"I heard you just transferred from another school. Why is that?"

"What's it to you? Did you assume I got kicked out of my old school because I was a delinquent like you?" she asked, folding her arms.

Yep, she heard the rumors. "No, I just thought it must be hard making friends at a new school."

"And that I would want to be friends with a leather jacket wearing bad boy?"

"Don't make me sound like I'm a stereotype!"

"Let me guess, you're misunderstood? Everyone thinks you're some bad, tough guy but in reality you're just a softie? How original."

"I'm no softie. But I'm also not some thug. I'm not who everyone think I am. So don't just assume you know a person based off how I look or what people say about me! Ow!" He brought his hand to his lip, feeling the blood drip from his cut.

"You deepened the cut on your lip, didn't you? Come here." She pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing it's edge on Yamada's torn skin. Her eyes focused on his lips, noting how soft they looked in the light. "Sorry, for what I said earlier. The thing is, you remind me of someone I knew. And he hurt me badly, so I have a hard time trusting others." Yamada stared into her eyes, finding honesty in her words.

"Kiss me, and I'll show you I'm different."

"What?" She looked at him, startled. "O-okay..." She leaned in, her lips puckered onto his. He's...surprisingly gentle. Makoto went deeper into the kiss and let Yamada pull her closer in.

 _Ow...my lip!_ He pulled back, licking the bleeding cut. He waited for something to happen, some supernatural force burning inside him or something like that. _Maybe it's one of those you-have-to-wait-24-hours powers._ He looked at the clock on the wall, telling him he was late for club.

"I gotta go, I'll see you around."

"R-right...um, see ya..."

•••

"You kissed her already?" Miramuya asked with a surprised expression when he told the fellow members.

Yamada nodded, making his way to one of the chairs in the club room. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, massaging the pounding in his head.

"Yamada-kun, your lip is swollen," Shiraishi pointed out.

"I accidentally deepened the cut when we kissed."

"Oh, that reminds me! Odagiri-san was looking for you," Miyabi mentioned to the sleepy delinquent.

"...mhmm..." His eyelids started drooping, his mind in a fog.

"Yamada-kun!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" He sat up abruptly, expecting a pop quiz when he remembered where he was.

"It's time for our club meeting. We were waiting for you to finish up your witch search and now that you're here, we can start!"

"Fine," he sighed, propping his head on his hand, "let's just get this over with."

•••

"Zzzzzzz..."

"Unbelievable," Miyabi said as she shook her head, "he fell asleep five minutes into the meeting."

Yamada's head had slid off his hand and now rested against his arm. He was snoring loudly, his jaw hung open from exhaustion.

"I should pull his chair out from under him," she grumbled, attempting to do so when the blonde girl stopped her.

"No, leave him," Shirashi said softly.

"At some point he's going to have to wake up," Miramuya informed her, "club is almost over."

"Yeah, so WAKE UP!" Miyabi shouted. Yamada woke startled, falling to the floor in the process.

"Owwww..." he moaned, rubbing his backside, "what the hell, Ito?!"

"Meeting's over, not that you contributed anything to it."

"It's time to go home?" He asked, missing the sarcasm.

"Did you hear anything I just said besides that?!"

"Finally, I'm going home."

"Yamada, text me when you figure out what her power is," Miramuya said, grabbing his stuff.

"Got it," he yawned, "see ya guys tomorrow."

He walked out the door, the sun already setting as the stars began to appear.

"Yamada-kun!" the blonde called out to him, catching his attention.

"Shiraishi? What's up?"

"How are you feeling?"

She ran all this way just to ask that? "I'll be fine once I get home and hit the bed," he said with a small smile to let her know he was alright.

"Yamada, I-"

"Hey look, it's the guy who tried to pick a fight with us!"

He stood protectively in front of the studious blonde. "Shiraishi, go home."

"But-"

"Go!" She ran off, looking back a couple times as she moved.

"I don't want any trouble."

"You should've thought about that before you messed with us." The thug punched Yamada in his already-bruised ribs. He cried out in pain, his arm rushing to shield the area. The two guys who were with the thug held his arms behind his back, twisting them in the process.

"Not so tough now, are you kid?" Squinting tears back, Yamada found the strength to swing his leg across the thug's face. He then elbowed the other two in the gut, releasing him as they fall to their knees.

Yamada ran as fast as he could with his ribs stinging like hell. _Shit, my knee's acting up!_ He felt himself slowing down. _Please wait until I get home..._

Sure enough, he reached his front door just as his knees gave out. Panting heavily, he sat himself against the door. _My...side...is burning!_

Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate.

 _Are you okay?- Shirashi_

 _Not wanting to worry her, he lied._

 _Yeah I'm okay. I just got home- Yamada_

 _Those were the kitten bullies I told you about earlier! Did they hurt you?- Shiraishi_

 _Kitten bullies?_ He chuckled at her cuteness until he winced from the pain in his ribs.

 _Don't worry, I'm fine- Yamada_

 _That's good to hear. I was worried that they hurt you more. It was my fault the first time they injured you- Shiraishi_

 _You saved that kitten. That's all that matters. It doesn't hurt that bad anymore.- Yamada_

 _I'm happy to hear that. :) goodnight- Shiraishi_

He closed his eyes, imagining Shiraishi smile in real life. The way her eyes sparkle in the light and her lips curve, revealing white teeth. He was the only that has seen her smile like that.

"What are you doing just sitting out here?" his younger sister asked, "you look like a creep. Well, more than usual."

"Tatsumi!"


	3. Chapter 3

The alarm clock buzzed, a limp hand reaching to silence it. He couldn't sleep a wink last night. No matter how he positioned himself, it was too painful to stay in for more than ten minutes. He got up, making his way to the kitchen where his sister was, preparing breakfast.

"Morning onii-chan, I'm making eggs and sausages. How many-" she froze, seeing her brother in the morning light.

His eyes were crusted shut and held large bags. Pillow marks imbedded deep into his cheeks. Hair flattened in some areas while other went all over the place. His lip was red and slightly swollen with infection.

"What happened to you?"

"Tired," he muttered, sitting at the table.

"Obviously. How many eggs do you want?" Tatsumi asked as she served them on a plate, "onii-chan?"

"Zzzzzzzzzzz..." Yamada rested his head on his arms, gaining a disapproving look from his sister.

"Hey!" she shouted, shaking him awake, "Wake up and eat."

"Thanks," he yawned. He ate slowly, which was unsettling since her brother usually gobbled everything in sight. "I'm gonna go get ready."

"Okay..." she said nervously, turning to the half-eaten plate he left behind. _Is there something wrong with onii-chan?_

•••

Yamada walked straight to homeroom, not in the mood to deal with Miyabi and Miramuya's antics. He sat as his desk, automatically laying his head on the wooden surface. He felt so stiff, he didn't want to move.

"Yamada-kun?"

He open his eyes reluctantly to Shiraishi sitting at the desk next to his.

"Hey, what're doing here?" he asked.

"Midterms are coming up. I wanted to get some studying done. Why are you here so early?"

"Just felt like it."

"Is everything alr..."

 _...ot...come in..._

 _What?_ Yamada shook his head, trying to clear the fog of drowsiness from his head. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if everyth..."

 _...got...in...ear me...?_

 _Is that...Otsuka's voice?_

 _ANSWER ME MAGGOT! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! REPORT TO THE COURTYARD THIS INSTANT!_

"I'll be back," he sighed, trudging his way out the door.

•••

"What did you want, Otsuka?" He asked annoyed.

"Odagiri-san asked me to contact you," she answered from behind the student council member.

"What is it? I haven't tested her power yet so I can't tell you what it is."

"That's why I'm here," Odagiri explained, "that girl isn't a witch."

His eyes widened. "She isn't?!"

"Nope, she's just a normal, boring girl. Turns out my sources got it wrong."

"So I kissed her for nothing," he groaned. _Crap, what am I supposed to tell her now? I had to gain her trust to get that kiss._

"She'll forget about it. It's not like she was kissed by a prince or something." _What're you trying to say?_ "Point is, she'll move on."

"Not unless it was her first kiss," Ostuka added, adding more guilt on Yamada's conscious.

"Not helping..."

•••

 _It was a bad idea to come here today_. He cracked his stiff neck. School was brutal on him, having to stay awake the entire time and not cringed as he walked or sat down. _I'll have to let Shiraishi know I'm not coming to club today._

School had ended and he walked down the hall where the supernatural clubroom was located.

"Hey, Yamada."

 _That voice_. He turned around and saw Makoto standing a few feet away.

"Makoto?"

"Follow me." She led him outside near the abandoned school building so they could talk alone. The sky was grey since it was raining, matching the tense atmosphere between them. She turned face him and slapped him across the face.

"Where the hell do you get off kissing a girl and never speak to her again?!"

 _She'll forget all about it, huh? Move on from it, right Odagiri? Move on, my ass!_ "Let me explain-"

"No, I should've known you were no different! Everyone is all the same, one day they want to get to know you and the next day they leave you once they get bored with you."

"Makoto, I was-"

She pushed him into a puddle, angry eyes brimmed with tears.

"Stay away from me," she said before storming off, leaving him in the rain.

 _Great, she's mad and I'm soaked._ He got up to head home, shivering slightly from the cold. While walking, he dialed Shiraishi's number.

"Hey, Shiraishi. I think I'll head home early...I don't feel up for it...thanks for understanding. Bye." He took the long way home, feeling guilty over what happened with Makoto. He knew of her trust issues and once she had let her walls down, he betrayed her. And for what, just to know if she was a witch? _If only she would let me tell her the truth. If only I could've explained it to her. I wanted to apologize. I never realized she was the kind of girl who felt that a kiss was precious. All the other girls I kissed never made a big deal about it. I broke her trust. I had hurt her. She transferred to this school to start over and I ruined it with the witch search. Is this witch hunting stuff even worth it?_ He stopped walking, realizing he was in front his house, and opened the door.

"I'm home," he called out, realizing he was the only one there. _Oh, yeah. Tatsumi is still in school, Mom's at work, and Dad will probably be at the bar until midnight._ He took off his jacket and dropped it on the floor, no energy to put it in the dryer. He limped to his room, falling to his bed without changing out of his wet uniform.

He moaned, pressing his face into his pillow to suffocate the migraine he was having.

 _Come on, brain. Let me sleep..._ Soon he managed to drift off, only somewhat conscious of the sore pain throughout his body.

A few hours later, Tatsumi entered the house. The first thing she noticed when she came in was the soaked jacket on the floor and the trail of water down the hall.

"Oooh, you in big trouble," she sang, but it wasn't as fun when there was no reply. She sneaked into Yamada's room, finding the blue-haired boy sprawled out on the bed in his wet clothes.

"Hey, why are you sleeping like that? You're getting the bed wet," she told him while poking him on the shoulder.

"...leave me alone..." He moaned, swatting her hand away.

"Onii-chan?"

"...jus...let me...sleep..." He coughed slightly, before falling back to sleep.

"Fine, if that's what you want," she shrugged, but couldn't help looking back at her brother as she closed the door behind her.

•••

"Onii-chan! Wake up!"

Yamada groaned as he pushed himself in a sitting position. _Why...does it hurt to breathe...?_ He went to his closet, looking for his school uniform when he remembered he was still wearing them. He trudged into the kitchen, his sister setting the table when she saw him, the raccoon-like shadows in his eyes and his pale complexion.

"Brother, you don't look so good. Can't you get mom to let you stay home?"

"I missed...too much school already," he said hoarsely, ruffling his sister's hair to assure her he would be fine.

"Alright. Come and have some breakfast! I made pancakes!"

"I'm not really that hungry," he said, but after seeing her pout worriedly, he added, "I guess it won't hurt to have a few."

He took a small bite, finding that swallowing was hard on his sore throat. After eating half of the stack, he handed the plate to Tatsumi and left for school.

•••

"Where's Yamada-kun?" Shiraishi asked.

"I got a text from him saying he'll be here soon," Miramuya said, glancing at his phone.

"Finally, he might show a little more effort in club activities!" Miyabi huffed, hands on her hips.

"Yeah, it's not the same without Yamada. Even if he was lazy," the white-haired boy chuckled.

"Look who's talking." The three of them faced the door, their faces filled with shock and worry.

Yamada was a mess. His uniform was wrinkled as if he had simply crumpled his clothes into a ball and threw it into his closet last night. He was pale; the only thing coloring him was the tired dark circles around his eyes, the fever blush on his cheeks and nose, and the scars of the injuries he sustained a couple days ago.

"Yamada-kun..." Shiraishi trailed off.

"Woah, Yamada. What happened to you? You look like a homeless man," Miyabi gasped.

"I don't know I-" he was cut off by a harsh coughing fit.

"You're sick!"

"It's just a cough, Ito. I-" he sneezed into his sleeve.

"Bless you," Shiraishi said gently.

"Just a cough, huh?" Miyabi asked, her eyebrow arched.

"Yamada, I'm taking you home."

"No, I have an exam in fifth period."

"I can take it for you," the blonde witch offered.

"It's a physical test. Sorry, no smarts can help here," he said smirking before coughing into his fist.

"Yamada, how did you get so sick? You were fine, well semi-fine, the other day."

"I don't know," he shrugged, "all I did yesterday was walk home and fell asleep as soon as I got there."

Miramuya thought about it carefully, once he put two and two together, his eyes widened.

"Oh. My. God. You walked under the rain and forgot to change clothes, didn't you?"

He looked up sheepishly at the three.

"You idiot!" Miyabi cried as she attacked Yamada, "That's why you got so sick!"

"Ito-san, I don't think beating him up will help him."

"Look, what done is done. I'll just take the test and go home after it. Easy," he said, congestion evident in his voice.

"Are you sure? I might be able to pull a few stings and get you a retake."

He thought about it for a minute, his mind killing him for more rest. "No, I don't want to owe that bastard of a president anything. It's only a push up test anyway."

Miramuya nodded in understandment, he didn't trust the president either. "Just take it easy and don't push yourself too hard."

"Right," Yamada said and gave a quick nod before going out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yamada, you're up!"

Yamada groaned, positioning himself for the test.

 _All I need is to do the minimum amount of push ups to pass the test. I can do this._ He stretched his arms, awaking the pain in his side and brought his hand to it. _I can at least try._

He angled his arms, listening for the sound of the whistle that signaled him to-

 _Go!_

He pushed up and down, his chest hurting so much from the struggle to breathe. But he kept pushing himself. _Almost...done..._

After the last push up, he collapsed and rolled onto his back, panting heavily. He felt his face burn as hot as the pain in his sides. "At least….it's over…..."

"Not so fast, Yamada. You missed the mile run last week, so you have to take it now." _Crap….I forgot about that._

"Sensei, I can't. Please just let me ta-"

"Oh no you don't. You're taking it now or I fail you, your choice."

"Fine," he groaned, making his way to the track field.

He stood at the starting line, waiting for that whistle to blow and ran. His chest burned and his knee stung when it made contact with the ground. _I have to stop...I can't..._

He slowed down once he saw the finish line, his legs heavy as lead. Now everything ached.

He coughed for a long time, grabbing his chest where his pounding heart was.

"Geez, Yamada. I didn't know you were so out of shape."

"That's n-" he felt another attack on his lungs.

"Go get yourself a drink of water." He nodded and walked to the boy's locker room. He sat on one of the benches, taking a much needed breather. His breathing wheezed, and it hurt so much every time he inhaled. _I think I need to see the school nurse._

He left class early to go to the nurse's office, but his chest was hurting so much he decided just to go to the club room and rest there.

It was empty, so he sat in one of the chairs, leaning back so all he could see was the ceiling. It was dark and quiet, a rare occurrence in this room as there was always some sort of witch related shenanigans going on. But for now, he could relax, not having to worry about some girl abusing her powers or some mystery in the school that needed solving. For now, even if it was just for a while, he could rest his eyes.

•••

Shiraishi entered the club room, hoping to get some studying done before the others arrive, when she found Yamada.

He was asleep, his arms dangling from his body. His eyes were cracked open as he snoozed. His mouth was slightly open, so she concluded that his nose was stuffed. His breathing, although labored, was even and deep. She ran her hand through his messy hair, feeling the softness of his blue spikes as well as his warm temperature.

"Hello, Urara-chan! I- Yamada-kun's still here?"

"That idiot, I told him to go home," Miramuya scolded.

"He feels warm," Shiraishi said as she kept running her fingers through Yamada's hair. He cooed, turning his head so that it was resting against Shiraishi's stomach.

"Should we cancel club today?" Miyabi asked Miramuya. Normally she would have club even if hail was falling from the sky. But it was different this time. She could see that Yamada was really sick.

"I think so, Yamada will be too weak to walk home alone."

A sneeze alerted the members that he was awake. It was so strong that Yamada nearly fell over.

"...ughhh...ow..." he moaned, rubbing his chest. His sniffed loudly, the wet sound echoing the room. "Oh, hey guys...why're you here so early?"

Miramuya frowned at the fact that his friend did not realize that classes had ended.

"We're taking you home."

"I can walk there myself," he grumbled, getting up and stumbling back into the chair.

"Yeah, but by the time you get there, you'll be fifty. It'll be faster if we go with you."

"...kay..." he agreed, too tired to argue.

They walked together, Miramuya and Miyabi behind Yamada and Shiraishi right beside him. It was slow, as Yamada didn't have much energy to move. Halfway there, he suddenly grew dizzy and fell to his knees.

"Yamada!" They surrounded him, helping him to his feet. Yamada blinked his eyes open, and they fell closed just as quickly.

"He's asleep," Miramuya sighed before taking control of the situation, "Shiraishi, wrap his arm around your shoulder. Ito, grab his stuff. Let's hurry up and get him home."

The trip there was difficult since Yamada was practically unconscious, but they made it to the front door and rang the doorbell, Tatsumi opening the door.

"Brother's cute friends!" She said happily until she saw who they were carrying, "what happened to him?"

"He fell sick, may we bring him to his room?"

"Of course," she answered, quickly moving out of the way so they could enter and led them to his room so Miramuya could set Yamada on the bed. The blue-haired boy moaned, shivering slightly from his still damp uniform.

 _He needs to change out of those clothes,_ Miramuya thought. "Can you girls make him something to eat?"

"Come on, Tatsumi. Let's make your famous miso soup," Miyabi said, trying to lift the girl's spirits.

"Yamada, can you hear me?" he asked as he shook him by his shoulder.

"...m...mira...?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah, it's me."

"...where...are...we...?" he said between coughs.

"Your house. Are you in any pain?"

"Hurts...here...there….everywhere…..."

"Let me see," he moved his hands to Yamada's shirt, loosing the buttons. There, where his ribs were located, was a large, deep purple bruise. _That looks bad._

"...what're doin..." his words slurred.

"Yamada, I think you need to see a doctor."

"...no, I'm fine..."

"That does not look fine," he said firmly.

"...look...today's Friday...I have the whole weekend to recover..."

"Fine," he said exasperated, "but if you're not better by then, I'm taking you to the hospital."

Yamada nodded, then looked down to fumble with the rest of the buttons.

"Need some help?"

"...a little..." He admitted.

Miramuya unfastened the last few buttons, Yamada's shirt falling off his shoulders. He then rummaged through the closet to find a plain t-shirt and some jeans and threw it at him.

"Put that on."

"...are you...mad at me...?"

"I'm just a little nerved about your condition, that's all."

"...oh...good...I was afraid you were...I didn't want two people mad at me..."

"Two?"

"...that girl...Makoto..."

"Oh, that's right. She wasn't a witch when you two kissed."

"You know…..I'm used to people looking down at me because of the rumors...but that was the first time someone looked at me like that...and I actually did something to deserve it..."

He saw how his friend hung his head, and nodded understandingly. "Don't worry, Yamada. We'll fix the problem on Monday, okay?"

"Dinner's ready," Miyabi announced from down the hall.

"Great, I'm starving! How about you?"

"...not really...but I'll have something..."

"Come on, there's miso soup for everyone."

They all sat at the table, telling stories as they ate. Mostly about the times Yamada goofed up, but also the good times like the school festival. Once they finished eating, they moved to the living room to watch a movie. Yamada, however, was fighting the urge to sleep right then and there. Every time he felt his head bob or eyes droop shut, he would pinch himself to stay awake.

He could feel Shiraishi and the other having their eyes check on him from time to time.

"Are you feeling tired, onii-chan?" Tatsumi asked.

"You can go to sleep if you want to," Shiraishi added.

"...n-no, I'm fine..." He shook his head. "I'm not gonna fall asleep while you guys are here."

•••

"I feel so sorry for you, Urara-chan."

Not even fifteen minutes later, Yamada's head had fallen onto Shiraishi's shoulder and he began snoring into her ear.

"I don't mind," she said, looking down at Yamada.

"How is it you're not going deaf in that ear?" Miramuya asked as he draped a quilt over the sleeping form. Yamada's breathing had changed from being mildly loud and annoying to sporadic gasps of breath mixed with snorts. "It sounds like he has sleep apnea, except it's much worse."

"He's not feeling well, just let him sleep."

"Shiraishi, you are a saint."

"I'll say," Miyabi said, "I'd push him off if I had to hear that sound for so long."

Yamada stirred a bit, shifted closer to Shiraishi, resuming to snore and cough in his sleep.

"Geez, Yamada. Cover your mouth or you'll get Shiraishi sick as well," he scolded, knowing he can't hear him.

Tatsumi left the room momentarily, returning with a surgical mask and placed it over her brother's mouth.

"To be honest, he hasn't been sleeping well, has he?" Miramuya asked.

The little girl sadly nodded. "Onii-chan's looking worse," Tatsumi said worriedly.

"He feels really warm too," the blonde girl added.

"I'll go get an ice rag," Miramuya said, going into the kitchen. He rummaged through the drawers, deep in thought. _I know I said I wouldn't call an ambulance, but he looks really sick, and those injuries are pretty serious. Was it the right call?_

"Here." He returned and placed the rag on Yamada's forehead. "We should get going. It's getting late."

"You guys go ahead, I'll stay a little longer," Shiraishi

"Um, thank you all...for taking care of my brother."

"You really are a nice girl. Whatever happened to Yamada?" Miyabi wondered. They waved goodbye to Shiraishi and Tatsumi, leaving them to watch over Yamada.

•••

Yamada hunched forward, a sneezing fit took control of him.

"...what...time is it...?" he mumbled to himself, removing the mask he felt with his hand.

"It's almost 6:30."

"Aaaaah! Shiraishi?!" He cried, jumping back to the far end of the couch.

"Did you sleep well?" the blonde girl asked.

"Why are you still here? Did everyone else left?"

"You fell asleep on me," she explained.

"What? And you stayed all this time? Why didn't you just wake me?"

"It's fine, you needed to get some sleep. Although you did snore a lot. Miyabi-chan recorded you while you slept."

"N-no!" he stammered, blush evident in his face, "...s-sorry you had to sit through that..."

"It's fine, I knew it was because of your cold."

He sneezed again, snot dripping from his nose. He covered his face in an attempt to keep her from seeing the mess that was running down under his hand. He kept sneezing, unable to suppress it.

"Would you like me to get you some tissues?" she asked after awhile.

"Y-yes, hurry!"

She handed him a box. Yamada took a few and blew heavily into it. He moaned as he sat back against the couch.

"My head hurts..." He massaged his temple.

"Do you want to switch places with me?"

"What?" Yamada asked, his eyes widened in shock.

"After all, it's my fault you got this way. I shouldn't have been so reckless in your body. I don't mind doing it."

"I-I know you don't but I'm not gonna let that happen! Don't blame yourself for my getting sick. That was my own fault. You should get home before it gets dark." He got up, intending to take her there, but a dizzy spell pushed him back to the couch.

"Let's get you to bed first." She helped him to his room, her arm securely around his waist the entire way there.

"I'm sorry I can't walk you home," he sighed, slipping into bed.

"That's fine," she smiled as she brought the blanket to his chin. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You did the same thing for me when I was sick, and now I got to do it for you."

His vision blurred as sleep overcame him. He was fading so fast, he almost missed her voice talking to him.

"Goodnight, Yamada-kun."


	5. Chapter 5

He sat in front of the TV, a bowl of leftover miso soup for breakfast in his hands. He placed the bowl on the table, only consuming half of it with what little appetite he had. He sneezed a few times before grabbing a tissue and wiping his runny nose.

"Tatsumi..." He called out weakly. She came to him, stopping a few feet before the pile of used tissues on the floor.

"Gross! Why didn't you use the trash can?"

"...I did...it overfilled…" he explained as he pointed to the pile where it supposedly is, "...I need more tissues..."

"Again?! That's the third box today!"

"...I'm sick...what...do you want...from me...?" he asked.

"To not use a whole box all at once!"

"...I can't control...how often...I need...to blow my nose..."

"Why are you talking like that?" She didn't like that her brother was speaking a few words at a time. And it was concerning how he was wheezing as he spoke.

"...my congestion...is making it...hard to breathe...normally..." He coughed into his tissue, wincing at the pain it caused. His sister walked around the tissues and sat beside her brother, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"...don't...get too...close..." he said, his voice rough, "...you'll...get sick...too..." His nose irritated him, causing him to fall under a sneezing storm. His usually strong frame trembled with every blow. Defeated and exhausted, he fell back to his half sitting, half lying position.

"...help...me..."

"I'll take you to your room." She offered her hand to pull him up. With one arm wrapped around his torso, she proceeded to lead him to his room. After a few steps, his knees buckled.

"Aaah! Too much!" Tatsumi cried, trembling under the weight.

"...sorry...my knee hurts..."

She manage to get him to his room where he fell into the bed. She tucked him under the covers, pity filling her heart. He was so weakened he could barely keep his eyes open. He sniffed heavily, his nose running too thickly to hold in. She left his room for a minute, returning with a fresh box of tissues and handing one over. He gratefully accepted it, blowing into it.

"...Tatsumi..." Yamada wheezed, "...go play in your room..."

"Onii-chan," she whined.

"...it'll be boring...just watching me sleep..." He gave her a weak smile. She was a good sister, she shouldn't have to be stuck in the house watching him. "...go have fun..."

She looked at him with sad eyes before walking out the door. Yamada rolled over onto his back. At least most of his injuries like the cuts and the black eye didn't hurt as much, but the other ones, the knee and his ribs and the headaches, they still left him sore.

After a short nap, he heard his door opened, and he saw Tatsumi walking in with her dolls. He sat up, a confused expression played on his face.

"...what're you doing here...?"

"I got bored playing alone, so I came here."

"...Tatsumi..."

"Look, I brought Shoba! And I brought Miki and Osu," she said, pointing to Yamada's stuffed bread doll and to her own doll and teddybear. "They wanted to play with you."

He couldn't say no to her. He knew she was doing this because she was worried about him. And he couldn't blame her. Yamada had gotten sick many times, thanks to switching bodies with Shiraishi, but it had never been this serious before. And despite their sibling rivalry, he cared for his sister too much to let her see how bad he was feeling. "...okay..."

Yamada held Shoba with a weak grip, making the doll dance and jump from time to time. Even though his head was killing him and it hurts to breathe, he still managed to wear a smile in front of Tatsumi.


End file.
